“Well, I know for a fact that when the commissioner came to training camp to talk, a lot of the guys kind of did,” Roethlisberger said. “I’m just thankful that my teammates are who they are and I’m really appreciative of it.”

Roethlisberger hedged, however, when asked about Goodell’s specific claim that he talked to more than 20 Steelers and none went to bat for their quarterback.

“I’m not sure,” Roethlisberger said. “I wasn’t there. I don’t know exactly what was said, so it’s hard to say.”

Steelers linebacker James Farrior, however, said it’s simply not true for Goodell to claim that no one on the Steelers went to bat for Roethlisberger.

“I was highly upset about the whole situation,” Farrior said. “When Roger Goodell came to us in the preseason, I think I was the guy that asked him a lot of the questions about Ben. I was pretty upset about it. I really didn’t get any answers from him that I was looking for, but I was definitely disappointed in what the verdict was and how they proceeded. I definitely didn’t think he should be suspended four games.”

So Goodell and Farrior clearly remember their conversation very differently. We’ll surely hear from several other Steelers this week who will offer their own recollections of their discussions with Goodell before the season. And we have a feeling that several more Steelers will say they were supportive of Roethlisberger.

Teammates were not supportive of Roethlisberger. Most left the party before he even got to the club, and the only one still around, Willie Colon, was off talking to someone else at the bar. Ben had to depend on a of a couple of off duty paid cops for support.

I love the Steelers. And, I believe what they say about Ben. I still have my problems with the guy and his off the field behavior. But, I stand by the Steelers and am proud of what they have accomplished this year regardless of whether or not they win the Super Bowl. But, I think they can win the game!

Ben’s teammates recognize that they’d rather win with a class jerk than lose with the popular valedictorian.

So they wanted Ben to get smacked around, humbled and put down a few pegs, yes.

Most of all they wanted him back. Their 3-1 record without him was them saying we’re good without you….knowing that they were not good enough without him long term.

Dan Sepulveda, a punter who might win his second ring while actually on IR (sharing that distinction with WR Limas Sweed) said that Ben , despite being in the next locker, would never acknowledge his existence until this year. Then all of sudden they’re pals. Forced, phony? Maybe, but it worked.

If the Steelers do win Sunday, Troy should hijack Ben and take to his monk high in the mountains.

It is reprehensible that Goodell would share that kind of information for publication. Regardless of what kind of punk Roethlisberger (or any other player) may be, such a comment by the Commissioner of the league is tantamount to “conduct detrimental to the league” and simply unprofessional. Clearly it is not only the players who need their egos checked.

Hey, you conspiracy theorists who think the league always tries to work it out so the Steelers win …

When is the last time you saw players being flagged and fined so much their biggest rivals (Ravens) publicly said they were being unfairly targeted? And when is the last time you saw an NFL Commissioner come out just days before the Super Bowl and claim 20 members of a team told him privately they didn’t like their quarterback? Sure sounds like he’s trying to sow the seeds of discontent in the Steelers locker room.

why are some guys who play football for a living supposed to help each other with legal matters. the media is trying to turn this into some kind of redemption story but throwing touchdown passes doesn’t make rape okay

First Ben says this: ““Well, I know for a fact that when the commissioner came to training camp to talk, a lot of the guys kind of did,” Roethlisberger said. “I’m just thankful that my teammates are who they are and I’m really appreciative of it.”

Then he says this: ““I’m not sure,” Roethlisberger said. “I wasn’t there. I don’t know exactly what was said, so it’s hard to say.”

Maybe he really is as dumb as he looks. And he needs to know that supporting a teamate on the field (when you are winning) is a whole lot different than supporting them off the field or having anything nice to say about them. Maybe if he’s learned that Ben isn’t the axis which we all spin around maybe that’s an improvement. Otherwise he’s just still dumb Ben.

Actually, nowhere in Farrior’s quotes here does he say specifically he spoke up in support of Mental Ben, just that he asked a Roger a lot of questions, and that he was upset later about the subsequent suspension. He’s not saying he supported Ben to Goodell’s face at all. Nobody from this motley crew is in a position to be calling Goodell a liar, in any case.

Really? WHY would Goodell be commenting on this now? Guess we know who he’s hoping will win the Super Bowl. It is incomprehensible to me that an NFL Commissioner would go public with private conversations that defintely should NOT be made public. Unless, of course, you have a transcript and you release EVERY transcript from EVERY player you talked with. Like, maybe, oh no……Brett Farve.

What a totally unprofessional thing to do. There HAS to be a motive here. Why not release this information immediately when the decision was made? Why wait until Super Bowl week?

Even if these comments ARE true, this WILL backfire on you Goodell. Bring it on. Your comments are only making the Steelers stronger and more committed as a TEAM.

I don’t see a story here. This does not mean his teammates did not like Ben. They just knew he needed to learn his lesson. If they praised him and talked about how great he was and “saved” him from disciplinary action, then maybe he woudn’t have learned his lesson and finally gotten his act together.

By his teammates NOT coming to his defense, it may have been the best thing they could have done for him in the long term. I would expect nothing less.

Please go back (if you were ever there) to the table and try to get a deal down. Not sure the timing of this, but the Super Bowl is for the players, not your platform to try to justify your King Solomonesque wisdom in dealing with players. Even if you made this statement to Peter King a while ago, are you that thin skinned you have to discuss your decision making process in the national media?

All of this is old news and history. Ben will take his lumps in the media but so what? So far, from all accounts, Ben’s behavior has been exemplary. All of this will only galvanize the Steelers to play as even more of a team with a chip on their shoulder. I have no doubt that on Sunday, they will be completely supporting the QB that played with a broken bone in his ankle, a broken nose, and who threw the winning pass to beat the Ravens and completed the passes at the end of game to beat the Jets. The guy who Ben is now, not last year or before that. Let the haters hate and let the Steelers get their 7th trophy playing against the world!

Of course they all say they supported you NOW Ben…they’re in the superbowl! And even if you’re a dirty pig rap…ist, it was all forgotten when you guys started winning. I’m so sick and tired of people ragging on Vick for hurting dogs, when this creep gets away with having off-duty officers help him hold his victims down. No way in hell I’m cheering for the Steelers this sunday…..

smellmyface says:
Jan 31, 2011 6:35 PM
Sorry Ben, nobody likes a rapist
———
Agree 100%. That is why Farrior comes across as either a certified moron or someone who does not understand the severity of the transgression.

Bottom line is Godell is supposed to be the commissioner of the NFL, not some big mouth gossip queen of TMZ!! What possible reason would he say that to Peter King, and why would PK / SI decide that this is the week to print this crap. Where is the high standard for the league now Roger?? You should be ashamed of the complete lack of professionalism in this case, and I wish the NFLPA would address this as a personal attack on one of its members.

I guess Goodell wants the Steelers to win the SB. He sure has lit a fire under Big Ben and other teammates who now think Goodell is a complete fool for no purpose. Why does the Commissioner want to seem so stupid for making this kind of comment? He must have been drunk. He should be suspended as Commissioner for behavior detrimental to the NFL.

Pats fan, I have no favorite here. Will decide who to root for depending on how the game goes.

I just want that clear, because I find it completely outrageous that Goodell via King has dropped this bomb in the Pitt locker room,
the week of the Super Bowl.
Completely outrageous.

All journalists are the same, they live to stab people in the back, that is why they become journalists.
King is just doing his expected duty as a professional creep. See Tomase, Boston. Same as it ever was.

Goodell has long passed the point to me, this is the exclamationpoint on his disastrous management this year.
He needs to quietly retire, to pursue other interests. He knew exactly what he was doing when he told King this story.

There is considerable potential damage possible here.

I am pissed, I am not a Steeler fan.
Steeler fans should be ready to rumble over this.
Maybe Coach Mike can pull em together, and direct their wrath at Green Bay.

LOL…..this is blowing up in Goodell’s face. Steelers players are coming out all over the place to call Roger out on his BS. Go read the USA Today article. I can’t wait to see the look on Goodell’s face when he’s forced to hand that Lombardi over to Ben at the podium……and then hopefully Harrison jumps up there and knocks Goodell out on International Television. The nerve of the NFL Commissioner actually trying to sow dissension of one of the Super Bowl teams. He’s only bringing them closer together.

Sounds like sour grapes because not only have the Steelers been the only team with balls enough to call him on his phony “safety’ concerns, but because the old man who got him hired came out and called BS on his “enhanced season”.

Update: Reading Peter King again, it is not clear to me when Goodell said this. King tagged along with him for some time “this season”.
So, I pull back some of the heat.
Goodell may have not pulled this out of his backside this week, never the less, in telling King, he was saying, “print it”.

I still think he needs to go.
But It appears the decision to casually drop this bomb now came from King, promoting his SI story, due this week.

I know everyone is questioning GODell for coming out now with these statements now but they are from possibly an old interview. See following quote from Peter King.

“We’ll start off with a tease for a project of mine. I’ve spent some time this season following Commissioner Roger Goodell around for a story due to run in Sports Illustrated this week.”

Peter King is promoting his big story for SI. So he is the douche for releasing the quote now. (Although I will give hime credit for his preseason Super Bowl picks).

And of course, GODell is still a douche no matter when he said it. It is not his job to make those types of comments. Run the league, be fair and balanced (unlike Fox) and help get a deal done for 2011. Keep the league going Roger. Don’t tear it down.

You’re not very bright. I’m sorry. This wasn’t about a legal matter. I know Roger Goodell thinks he is God, but he has no legal authority to prosecute rapes or decide innocence or guilt in such matters.

In fact, the medical exam showed the woman in Georgia did not have sex with anyone during that time frame, and contrary to popular opinion, the only accusation she made against Roethlisberger was vaginal rape. She never said one word to the police about oral sex. So the medical exam proved she was lying, as the many other witness statements proved her friends were lying about the bodyguard at the door. The DA said in his statement to the press that he hoped they’d learned their lesson. I realize you knew nothing about this case before you commented, but even simple-minded people should understand that when a DA says he hoped the accusers have learned their lesson, it means he doesn’t believe a crime was committed.

Goodell said in his letter to Roethlisberger that he was not disagreeing with those findings. He was punishing him, basically, for being rowdy. Gee, no other player has done that before.

The man choosing less than a week before the Super Bowl to try and cause a disruption in the Steelers locker room by releasing the private details of his conversations with the Steelers–if his comments are even true–is unethical. A 10-year-old could figure that out if we were talking about his classmates and their visits to the principal. Unfortunately, most people posting here lack the maturity of a 10-year-old

Much as I despise Goodell for his complete lack of ethics in dealing with almost every issue that crosses his desk, no matter what team it involves, I expect his efforts to undermine the camaraderie among the Steelers players will backfire. This could be the best thing that ever happened to our team. Ben knew many players were unhappy with him. But right now, everyone has to be unhappy that Goodell has picked this time to bring up this mess. That spells a united front for the Steelers.

I hope that when it’s all over, his unprincipled behavior will spell the end of Goodell’s career. I know Roethlisberger won’t sue … but maybe some of the other Steelers–or players from other teams that he has or will screw by betraying their confidentiality–will take some legal action against him.

Hey Ben, reality is that most of the players were probably really nice to you to your face. Alone with goodell, not so much. Comes with the territory man. Assault chicks and you’ll piss off lots of people, some of which may end up being your teammates.

Farrior is just another one of those black and yella enablers. Just another example of Ben’s ability to surround himself with all of the “friends”, females and assorted apologists that money and fame can buy.

Ben made a complete idiot out of himself and got what he deserved in his four game suspension . However , he served his suspension and now he deserves to have his second chance . If he truly learns from it and changes his life around then , God love him ! On the other side of the coin , if he doesnt and gets in trouble again , his days as a Steeler will be over . Just ask Santonio Holmes , who just came off a Super Bowl MVP if you have any doubts . At the end of the day , its all up to him .

Ben should be worried about dropping the soap, not winning the Superbowl! What does a Quarterback in the NFL need with security guards? Oh yeah his victims can out run his fat arse! I wonder if he’s going to start hangin with Kobe?

What ever *YAWNS* Big Ben shouldn’t done what he did. Then maybe Roger would have a different out look on Big Ben. big Ben is damn lucky hedidn’t go to jail for what he did.
The thing is why did this come out during SUPERBOWL week? The idiot reporter should have waited til the game was done. Ther way i see it It is ALL three fault big ben, roger, and the reporter. *YAWNS GOING TO BED*

Goodell is a moronic egotistical jerk. I would love to see the players union and Ben file a suit agains’t this assclown. He comes off with these lies now in an attempt to cause turmoil in the Steelers locker room.
He and he alone sits back Monday mornings and decides who should or should not get fined for what he determines is a hit or tackle thats to hard or illegal. This guy is destroying the game of football and needs to be removed before its to late.

First let me say that Im a Packer fan. I think the steelers have a heck of a team. I also think that Big Ben finally gets it. He,s screwed so many of these whores , as have many others, I think the wakeup call came when those charges were filed. The public embarasment and suspension made him understand that there are consequences to your actions. Yes his consequences arent as severe as we mere mortals but he might have finally taken his head out of his rectum. The game should be great . I hope we break ben in half. But ben luv him or hate him is one good qb. As a person he has a way to go ,but I could have said the same thing when I was 28.